NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT

Metro Market Score 43.7 (Moderate), ranked #76 of 378 metros. 1,033 establishments, 14,038 jobs.

Metro Market Score 43.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national retail trade average.

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Norwich-New London-Willimantic's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 97.3. Combined with a 43.7 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

44.4

LQ: 1.11

Rank #168 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

68.3

$39,756 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 97.3

Employment growth index

Rank #11 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.6

YoY wage change index

1,033 Retail Trade Firms in Norwich-New London-Willimantic

1,033

Establishments

+5.4% YoY

14,038

Total Employment

+9.1% YoY

$39,756

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

1.11

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Connecticut

#1 of 5

retail trade metros in state

Connecticut state rank

#31 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-21.6

better than median (65.3)

Norwich-New London-Willimantic vs Connecticut Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Connecticut overall. The state ranks #31/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Norwich-New London-Willimantic	CT Statewide
Overall Score	43.7 Moderate	44.7 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#76 of 378 metros	#31 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Norwich-New London-Willimantic

Other Services 21.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 26.7 Administrative and Support Services 35.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 35.3 Finance and Insurance 35.9 Information 41.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 49.6 Accommodation and Food Services 50.3 Construction 53.4

Retail Trade in Other Connecticut Metros

Waterbury-Shelton 58.4 #235/378 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury 65.3 #310/378 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford 66.1 #314/378 New Haven 71.5 #346/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Norwich-New London-Willimantic's 43.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Waco, TX 43.5 #75/378 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 43.3 #74/378 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 43.2 #73/378 Baton Rouge, LA 44.2 #77/378 Decatur, IL 43.1 #71/378 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 43.1 #72/378 Midland, TX 43.1 #70/378 Raleigh-Cary, NC 44.4 #78/378 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 42.9 #69/378 Dalton, GA 44.4 #79/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Connecticut

State-level entry risk for retail trade in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Massachusetts 37.1 #4/51 Rhode Island 42.3 #21/51 New York 57.2 #49/51

Browse Retail Trade in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for retail trade across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Norwich-New London-Willimantic's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (68.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment